IT 130 Learning Goals

1. Be able to articulate orally and in writing the meaning of the following terms.
• Displaying Web Pages:   Server, browser, text editor, upload, download, HTML, XHTML, start tag, end tag, attribute.
• CSS:   Inline style, document-level style, external CSS page, selector (tag name), property, value.
• Java Script and Algorithms:   Algorithm, literal, variable, input, output, assignment, operator, function, conditional, decision (if-statement), loop (while-statement), array.
• Datatypes:   string, number (integer or floating point), boolean
   
2. Know important events and persons in the history of computers and the internet.
    
3. Know the importance of popular web protocols such as   http, https, ftp, ping, smtp, ssh, tcp/ip.
    
4. Know how to upload or download web pages and images using the SSH Secure File Transfer Client.
    
5. Know the request / response pattern that characterizes the interaction between a web browser and a web server.
    
6. Know the difference between client-side and server-side processing.
   
   
Be able to use these terms to describe the size of a file: bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, kilobyte, gigabyte.
 
8. Be able to write HTML code to do the following:
   • Set the title of a document.
   • Format text as paragraphs, lists and tables.
   • Insert hyperlinks that use relative or absolute addresses.
   • Display images.
   • Specify an inline or document-level style.
   • Link a document to an external style sheet.
   • Implement user controls on a form including buttons, textboxes, text areas, dropdown menus.
   • Optional user controls are checkboxes and radiobuttons.
      
9. Be able to use HTML special characters such as    < > & "
    
10. Use inline, document-level, and external styles and understand the differences between them.
     
11. Be able to write CSS style specifications such as the following examples:
    • Set the document font, weight, and style.
    • Set the text color and background color for a document.
    • Set the margins and indentation of a document.
    • Set the color and text decoration for hyperlinks.
       
12. Know the basics of user centered design:
    • Identify the goals of a web site and draw a prototype.
    • Engage in an iterative process of user testing and design modification.
       
13. Given a JavaScript program, be able to do the following:
    • Construct a variable trace of a JavaScript code fragment and predict the output.
      The JavaScript code might include a script with assignment statements, if..else statements and while loops, document.write.
      User defined functions that are not event handlers are optional.
    • Execute a JavaScript program using a text editor and browser.
    • Locate errors in a JavaScript program by inspection.
    
     
14. Be able to write interactive web pages using JavaScript that use the following constructs:
    • Counters
    • Running totals
    • If statements
    • Functions as event handlers
    • Built in functions such as Math.floor, Math.random, Math.sqrt, parseFloat, window.alert
    • Optional (arrays, string handling functions)
       
15. Be able to perform a computation specified by a mathematical expression into JavaScript.
    • The inputs are taken from input boxes or user controls.
    • The output is shown in an alert box or a user control.
     

Notes

1. Example problems should have practical appeal.  They should not have solely theoretical importance. For example, problem could be phrased like this:
   
   • Sequentially input the hourly wage and hours worked for the week of all the employees at a small company.
   • Compute and output the total amount paid for wages.
      
2. Uploading assignments to the students.depaul.edu server is an important aspect of designing web pages.  They should upload all (or at least many) of their assignments, not just a final project.
    
3. Designing pages with frames is not a part of IT 130.
    
4. Don't emphasize arrays.  Because they probably are presented at the end of the course, use arrays to show how they can simplify JavaScript with complex if...else statements or multiple counter variables.  Students should understand the concept of an array, not be proficient in programming with arrays.